Someone else has noticed the BBC’s bias.
I don’t have a balanced view of the current situation in Israel and Gaza. To me, the Israelis have been subjected to repeated attacks from Hamas, a proscribed terrorist organisation, and they are exercising their legitimate right to self-defence.
Others have a different perspective. They argue Israel is an illegal occupying power, that it is the Palestinians who are exercising their right of self-defence, and that, at the very least, the current Israeli response is disproportionate.
All of which is fair enough. I don’t agree with the latter view. But I respect people’s right to hold it.
That is unless they are producing the news on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. This morning, at the top of the 08.00 bulletin, I heard the following report:
There’s been no let-up of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, as diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire gather pace. Air strikes and shelling from Israeli warships have continued throughout the night. Hamas says 18 Palestinians were killed, bring the total to 86 over the past six days. Three Israelis were killed last week. An Israeli newspaper says an air strike that killed 10 members of the same family in Gaza yesterday may have hit the wrong house. The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has called for an immediate end to the violence.
Debates about news bias are invariably fruitless. One side argues their point of view hasn’t been put across accurately, or with sufficient prominence. The broadcaster invariably counters that their report was robust, and both points of view were featured, though possibly with differing weight or emphasis.
This morning there was no such ambiguity. No room for argument, or debate. The top of the BBC bulletin was totally and utterly biased.
The current conflict involves Israeli forces bombarding Gaza. But it also involves Hamas fighters bombarding Israel. That is a simple fact. The IDF confirms it is engaged in what it would describe as military operations against targets in Gaza. Hamas confirms it is engaged in what it would describe as military operations against targets in Israel.
Yet in the 08.00 bulletin the BBC chose not to report the Hamas attacks at all. Not one word. “There has been no let-up of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza”. That was it.
Read the whole thing.
